Four Oscar visions: Rickles, no tats, great bands, a big tuna

Los Angeles Times and Dreamworks Animation

When it comes to the Academy Awards, everyone has an opinion ¿ not only on who should bring home the Oscar but also on how the host is doing, how the show could have been better. Pundits of all stripes, from the cynical to the political, will deliver their predictions in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 26 show. But we did one better. We asked three free-thinkers whose business is acting to recast the Oscars in their own image. So here, Wendi McLendon-Covey ("Bridesmaids"), Matthew Lillard ("The Descendants"), Thomas Haden Church ("We Bought a Zoo") and Puss in Boots ("Puss in Boots") offer up their visions for this year's ceremony. Academy, please take notes.

When it comes to the Academy Awards, everyone has an opinion ¿ not only on who should bring home the Oscar but also on how the host is doing, how the show could have been better. Pundits of all stripes, from the cynical to the political, will deliver their predictions in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 26 show. But we did one better. We asked three free-thinkers whose business is acting to recast the Oscars in their own image. So here, Wendi McLendon-Covey ("Bridesmaids"), Matthew Lillard ("The Descendants"), Thomas Haden Church ("We Bought a Zoo") and Puss in Boots ("Puss in Boots") offer up their visions for this year's ceremony. Academy, please take notes. (Los Angeles Times and Dreamworks Animation)

When it comes to the Academy Awards, everyone has an opinion ¿ not only on who should bring home the Oscar but also on how the host is doing, how the show could have been better. Pundits of all stripes, from the cynical to the political, will deliver their predictions in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 26 show. But we did one better. We asked three free-thinkers whose business is acting to recast the Oscars in their own image. So here, Wendi McLendon-Covey ("Bridesmaids"), Matthew Lillard ("The Descendants"), Thomas Haden Church ("We Bought a Zoo") and Puss in Boots ("Puss in Boots") offer up their visions for this year's ceremony. Academy, please take notes.